Railroad-spike



{NQMde1')` W. SMGCLAY.

RAILROAD SPIKE. i No. 562,411'. Patented June 23, 1896".`

NITED STATES f PATENT OFFICE.. o

WILLIAM S. MCCLAY, 0F UNIONTOVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAlLRoAD-SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 562,411', dated June 23,`1896.

Application filed June 22, 1895. lSerial No. 553,723. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. MCCLAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Spike, of whichthe following is a specification.

The intent of the present invention is the construction of a spikeespecially designed for use in the building of railways, and which whendriven into the tie will grip the foot of the rail firmly withoutrequiring the driving up of the head so as to bring the body of thespike close against the foot of the rail, as commonly practiced andattendant upon the use of the ordinary spike. Where the spike is tappedafter being driven, an opening is formed in the rear thereof whichadmits moisture, which soon results in the rotting of the tie and theweakening of the spike by the corrosive action of the moisturethereupon.

A further purpose of the invention is the provision of a spike whichwill obtain a rm anchorage in the tie and which can be extracted bymeans of a suitable puller, so as to be used again as often as required.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists,essentially, ofa railroadspike having its rear side depressedlongitudinally on a curved line, said depression intersecting with thebeveled side of the point and having its origin a short distance fromthe head.

The invention also consists of a spike whose sides taper from the headto the point, the front side receding from a vertical line passingthrough the juncture of thehead With the said front side; also in thedetails of construction which hereinafter Will be more fully set forthand claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a rear elevation showing the application of theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 representdifferent positions of the improved spike.

The dotted lines in the several views designate the outline of theordinary railroadspike, and are employed to emphasize the differencesand advantagesl of the present invention. For the sake of clearness inthe disclosure the spike will be described with reference to a verticalposition.

The body of the spike has its sides tapering from the ,head l to thepoint 2, as clearly indicated by contrast with the dotted lines, and thefront side 3 recedes from the perpendicular, as most clearly indicatedin Fig. 5. The penetrating end of the point 2 is a littleV to the `rearof a line passing vertically through the center of the spike, and thefront side of the point 2 has a longer bevel than the rear side, therebyenabling the front side of the spike to be crowded against the foot ofthe rail When driving home. A depression 4 is located in the rear sideof the body and extends longitudinally of the spike, and has its origina short distance from the head and intersects with the rear beveled sideof the point 2. This depression curves throughout its length and extendsinwardly at a middle point, so that the anchoring point 5, located atthe point of intersection of the said de pression with the beveled sideof the point, stands in the rear and obtains a Irm grip in the tie, soas to prevent the accident-al withdrawal of the spike under thevibrations incident to the traffic upon the rails.

The offstanding lip G of the head is T- shaped in elevation, and thehead is strengthened by lateral ribs 7, and its top side is conveXed,thereby causing the blows of the sled ge or other driving-tool to bedelivered at about a central point ofthe spike-body.

The spike is driven into the tie 8 in the usual manner, and its point isset as yclose to the foot of the rail as possible, and during thedriving of the spike. the latter by reason of the receding front side 3and the depressed rear side 4 will gradually approach the foot of therail 9, and firmly grip the foot thereof when driven home, therebyobviatin g the lateral driving usually practiced to bring theordinaryspike close against the foot of the rail after the said spikehas been driven home.

Inasmuch as the cross-sectional area and contour of the spike may varyaccording to the particular requirement for which the spike is designed,it is to be understood that in the embodiment of the same variouschanges in the form, proportion, andthe minor details of constructionmay be resorted to With- IOO out departing from the principle orsacrifie'- ing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is- As animproved article of manufacture, a spike constructed substantially asherein speciiied, having a head convexed on its top and formed With anofstanding lip and lateral ribs, and having its sides tapering, andhaving the penetrating point disposed in the rear of a line passingcentrally and longitudinally through the spike, the front side of thepoint being of a longer bevel than the rear side, and having alongitudinal depression in the rear side curving inwardly between itsextremities and forming an anchoring point in proximate relation to thepoint, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn l have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM S. Mc CLAY. Witnesses:

A. M. KRAMER, S. A. PoUNDs'roNrl.

